The Westport Independent is a high-stakes “censorship simulator” that puts you in the editor’s chair of one of the last independent newspapers in a post-war country. Set in 1949, the city of Westport is under the tightening grip of the Loyalist Party, which is weeks away from enacting a bill that will effectively end a free press. Your mission is to navigate the final twelve weeks of the paper’s operation while balancing the truth against government threats.
The gameplay is a tense exercise in framing. You don’t just choose which stories to run; you decide which parts of an article to strike out and which headlines to sensationalize. A story about a factory strike can be edited to highlight the struggle of the workers or to condemn the “unruly rebels” disrupting order. Every decision ripples through the city’s four distinct districts, shifting public opinion and altering the safety of your staff.
Your writers have their own political leanings and will react—sometimes with fear, sometimes with defiance—to your editorial direction. It is a minimalist, thought-provoking experience that forces you to consider the immense power of the media to shape reality and the heavy personal cost of maintaining integrity under an authoritarian regime.
Key Features
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Censorship Mechanics: Redact specific sentences to change an article’s entire meaning.
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Headline Selection: Choose between pro-government, rebel-leaning, or neutral titles.
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Staff Management: Oversee four unique journalists with their own political ideologies.
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Dynamic City: Your edits directly influence the mood and stability of four city districts.
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Employee Interactivity: Staff discuss your choices and the city’s state between weekly cycles.
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Consequence-Driven Gameplay: Face letters from the government or threats from rebels.
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Marketing Strategy: Target specific demographics to increase sales and spread your message.
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Retro Noir Aesthetic: Stark, minimalist pixel art with a dreary 1940s atmosphere.
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Branching Narratives: Multiple endings based on the public’s perception and your survival.
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Moral Complexity: Navigate the “gray area” where you cannot lie, but needn’t tell the whole truth.
System Requirements
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OS: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, or 10
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Processor: 1.5 GHz or faster
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Memory: 1 GB RAM
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Graphics: Graphics card supporting OpenGL 2.0
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DirectX: Version 9.0c
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Storage: 100 MB available space
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Sound Card: Windows-compatible sound device
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Input: Keyboard and Mouse
